


The Doctor, the Professor, and the Madman

by Arcadias_Fire



Series: Whoverse Stories [2]
Category: British Actor RPF, Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Gay Character, Grief/Mourning, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), M/M, Multiverse, Psychic Bond, off screen major character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-06-28 21:11:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15715164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcadias_Fire/pseuds/Arcadias_Fire
Summary: “Don’t I know you?”“I... uh, no, I don’t think so.”The Doctor zoomed in close and Tom leaned back, away from the invasion of his personal space. The older man had piercing blue-gray eyes and a visage like a hawk. “The eyes are wrong, and the hair, and the beard, but I never forget a face, and I’ve seen yours before.”The world is a strange place; the days when aliensdon’tinvade are the notable ones, but what on Earth do a Classics Professor and a godlike alien being have in common? More than you might think.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A direct sequel to “Temporis, Spatio, Mens”, though I think it stands on its own well enough. This takes place before most of the events of Series 10, though after the Doctor has joined St. Luke’s as a professor. 
> 
> This story is also referred to in my main series "Dream of Mirrors".

 

Bristol was not London.

 

An obvious statement, but one that had been striking Tom more and more. Bristol was fine. He could afford a nicer flat - everything was less expensive here - but even with the sheer volume of students, the energy was so much quieter. St. Luke's was pleasant. The university campus was a comfortable blend of old and new, large enough for diversity, and small enough that he could get to know his fellow professors well. He did socialize, despite what his sisters said. He did. He just had to be careful, and that meant that certain things were not an option.

 

He really did miss London.

 

Tom looked out over the lecture hall with a sinking heart. The last of his students - a knot of gigging young women who he was certain had taken his lecture because he was ‘fit’ rather than for any love of the Ancient Greeks - had filed out. Unfortunately his dark blond curls, blue eyes and that he looked to be in his 20s rather than his 30s tended to attract girls like bees to honey. He sighed and shook his head as he gathered his books and his laptop into the leather satchel he carried them in and headed for the door.

 

Unfortunately, as he was going out, someone else was coming in.

 

The older man barreled into him at full speed, knocked Tom to the floor, careened into the back-most row of seating, and dropped the huge pile of books in his arms all over the last three rows.

 

“Bollocks!”

 

“So sorry,” Tom said, even though none of this had been his fault. His glasses had been knocked off by the impact, but hadn’t gone far. He retrieved them, got to his feet and went to help the other man up. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yes yes, I'm fine.” The older man has a Scottish accent, gray hair, and was almost as tall and thin as himself. “I didn’t realize anyone would be here.”

 

“My lecture just ended.”

 

“Did it?”

 

Tom nodded and held out a hand. “Professor Hiddleston, Classics.”

 

“The Doctor, Everything,” the other replied, took his hand and shook it briefly. “I thought you might be a student.”

 

Tom laughed and rubbed his chin self-consciously. He’d grown his beard out specifically to look older. “I know look young, but a student?”

 

The older man shrugged. “I can’t really tell. You all look the same to me.”

 

Tom frowned at this. “What?”

 

The older man looked at him again, then did a double take. “Don’t I know you?”

 

“I... uh, no, I don’t think so.”

 

The Doctor zoomed in close and Tom leaned back, away from the invasion of his personal space. The older man had piercing blue-gray eyes and a visage like a hawk. “The eyes are wrong, and the hair, and the beard, but I never forget a face, and I’ve seen yours before.”

 

“I thought you just said we all look the same to you.” Though Tom had no idea what that meant.

 

The older man turned away again and waved a dismissive hand. “Ages. Ages I can’t tell. Your cells are all new anyway, what does it matter when the first version was born?” He turned back to face Tom. “A name pops to mind, Lewis? Lois? No, humans use that as a girl’s name. L-something.”

 

“My name is Tom.”

 

“No, that’s not right.”

 

Tom open his mouth. Closed it. Open it again. Shook his head. “I have to be going, I have tutoring soon.”

 

The older man waved a hand and walked up towards the front of the hall. “Yes, yes, fine.”

 

“I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

 

“Probably. I’ve been here for seventy years and I never leave.”

 

Tom frowned. “Good afternoon, then.”

 

The Doctor waved over his shoulder, and Tom left.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Tom asked around about the strange professor he’d run into - had run into him - the other day. It seemed like everyone was familiar with the Doctor and his eccentricities. Everyone just referred to him as “the Doctor”, apparently at his request; he didn’t seem to have a name per say. He actually did teach everything, but mostly science or maths, which is why Tom hadn’t encountered him before even though he’d been teaching at St. Luke’s for two terms already. 

 

The routine of teaching was pleasant, and he fell into it easily. Most of his students were unexceptional, but that was fine. As usual, every lecture had a contingent of girls who would bat their eyes at him the whole time. It reminded him of the beginning of  _ The Last Crusade. _ Not that he was anything like Indiana Jones, of course; his life was very unglamorous. But eventually it would come out that he had no interest in women whatsoever, and the numbers would drop, but that day had yet to arrive at St. Luke’s. He wasn’t eager for it, despite the fact that it would mean there would be more room in his classes for students who were actually interested in Classics. There were a whole host of other drawbacks, angry parents generally being the most common. Apparently an attractive, young,  _ gay, _ professor was objectionable, even if a straight one wasn’t.  

 

The term progressed and Tom forgot all about the Doctor and their odd encounter, until one day the older man appeared spontaneously in his office one afternoon.

 

“Greek.”

 

Tom looked up from the essay he was marking. “Ναι, μιλώ ελληνικά. Γιατί;” he replied. 

 

“No no, Greek is the context.”

 

“Context for what?” 

 

The Doctor paced the tiny length of his office. “Where I met you before.”

 

“We’d not met before a few weeks ago.” 

 

“I didn’t look like this then, you might not remember.” 

 

Tom frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.” 

 

“I remember speaking Greek, but your eyes were bluer, and and and…” The Doctor spun around, the tails of his jacket flying. “Wait.” He dodged in close again and placed his fingertips over Tom’s temples. The younger man tried to pull away from the contact, but couldn’t. “No. No, that’s not right.” The Doctor released him and stood away, looking down at Tom over his desk.

 

Tom considered himself a gentleman and was he willing to put up with a lot, but this had gone too far. He got to his feet. “What the hell was that about?” Despite Tom’s height advantage, the Doctor still filled the small space of his office. Tom was not a short man. Nor a small man, despite a wiry build. He could project his voice to the back of a lecture hall with no effort - once upon a time, to the back of a theatre - and did not consider himself meek or possessing a ‘small’ personality. But he felt overwhelmed by this odd man. He was beginning to suspect that was a common feeling. 

 

“You’re not who I thought you were.”

 

Tom blinked. “Obviously.” 

 

“But you speak Greek. And Latin?”

 

Tom nodded. “And French, of course. Italian and Spanish. Some Arabic.” 

 

“Why…” The Doctor frowned. “Why am I picturing you with black hair?” 

 

“Black?” He blinked.

 

The Doctor nodded again. “Languages. Black hair, no beard or specs, eyes that are far too blue.” 

 

“Oh.” Tom sat abruptly. “You’ve met Lukas.” 

 

“What?”

 

“There’s a bookshop in London which specializes in rare texts called Sterling Books. It’s owned by a man who could be my twin, Lukas Sterling.”

 

“You have a doppelganger?” 

 

Tom nodded. “The hair was a dead giveaway. And the eyes.” He recalled the bookshop owner in vivid detail. They’d only met the once and it had been years ago, but it wasn’t every day that you run into someone who could be your twin in a wig and colored contacts. Tom’s eyes  _ were _ blue - usually sky blue, though the color changed depending on the light - but Lukas’s eyes had practically glowed azure in the dim lighting of the shop. Tom licked his lips. “I’m sure he could read every book there.” 

 

“He could.” The Doctor rubbed his chin. “I remember now. It was a long time ago.” 

 

“I haven’t seen him in years.” 

 

“Centuries.”

 

“What?”

 

The Doctor shook his head and frowned at Tom. “You have a doppelganger and never looked into it?” 

 

He shrugged. “Stranger things happen every day. If I recall correctly, there was an alien invasion the next week; that really put things into perspective.” 

 

The Doctor let out a bark of laughter. “The days when aliens don’t invade are often the more notable ones.” 

 

Tom shrugged again, but smiled. “Sometimes it feels like that.” 

 

The Doctor sat on the edge Tom’s desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “We should go visit him.”

 

“What?” 

 

“We should go to London and visit Lo… Lukas. Assuming he’s still there.” 

 

Tom blinked. “Why?” 

 

“Why not?” At Tom’s frown, the Doctor continued. “Aren’t you curious?” 

 

“Well, perhaps.” 

 

“Let’s do it then. I haven’t been off campus in an age. A trip to London is just the thing.” 

 

“I…” Tom considered. He was certain that this wasn’t some sort of obscure attempt at a date by the older man. The Doctor was at least twenty years his senior - not that age meant anything, really - and just didn’t give off that sort of energy. It had been a long time since he’d had a mate that he could just take a daytrip with and not feel odd about it. “Very well. We’ll go.”

 

“Wonderful.” The Doctor sprang up from Tom’s desk. “Saturday?”

 

“Certainly.” 

 

The Doctor grinned. “It’s a date.” And vanished from his office. 

 

Tom’s mouth dropped open and he stared at the door. “What have I gotten myself into?” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Professor Tom is speaking Greek, he says: "Yes, I do speak Greek. Why?"


	3. Chapter 3

 

Saturday dawned clear over Bristol, though apparently it was pouring in London. It had been raining in town for a solid week, not that that was too unusual, but people always muttered when something happened too consistently. Or too inconsistently. Tom just made certain he had an umbrella with him when he met the Doctor at the train station. 

 

The trip was surprisingly entertaining; the two hours on the train flew past as they chatted. The Doctor was highly intelligent, if odd, and could talk about pretty much anything. Mostly they talked about their fellow professors, the university in general, and the foibles of academia in specific. It felt like they’d known each other forever by the time they got off at Covent Garden. 

 

The heavens had certainly opened over London. It was pouring. Not the usual dismal drizzle that plagued the city most days outside of summer, but a veritable deluge. The skies wept. 

 

The pair huddled together under Tom’s large brolly as they rushed from the station to the bookshop. 

 

It was closed.

 

“Damn.” Tom rubbed the back of his head and peered inside. “We should have phoned ahead instead of just checking the website.”

 

The Doctor bent down and looked at the small sign below the “closed” placard. “Oh, that’s bad.” 

 

Tom looked at it. “Closed due to a family emergency” was written in a shaky hand and dated eight days previously. He looked over at the Doctor who was gazing up at the sky. 

 

“What do you think happened?”

 

The Doctor glanced at him. “Nothing good. Come on.” He led the way around the back of the building. Tom followed. 

 

The Doctor open a door on the alleyway and headed inside the low brick building. 

 

“Where are you going?” 

 

“Their flat is above the shop,” the older man replied. “That’s where he is.”

 

“What?”

 

They were at the top of the stair now and the Doctor pounded on a shiny red door. “Loki, I know you’re in there, let me in.” 

 

Tom shifted from foot to foot and looked around. There were two other doors on this hallway, what if somebody heard them? 

 

“Loki!” 

 

Tom shook out his umbrella and folded it. 

 

“I’m coming in if you don’t open this door.”

 

Tom wiped a raindrop off his spectacles with a shirttail and put them back on.

 

After a moment of silence, the Doctor pulled something out of the inner pocket of his jacket, and pointed it at the door handle. There was a low electronic hum and the door popped open and the Doctor pushed his way in. Tom hovered in the hallway looking into the nicely appointed flat. He could see the end of an oversized black leather sofa, a small modern kitchen, and that was about it. 

 

“What have you done with yourself?”

 

“Who?” The voice that answered the Doctor’s was cracked. Tom shuddered; it sounded the same as his own. 

 

“The Doctor. You remember.”

 

“Oh. You’ve changed.” The other's voice was flat. As though inflection would take too much effort. 

 

“Yes, well. I do that sometimes.” 

 

Tom snuck inside the flat. There was a suite of the oversized black furniture: chairs that could easily fit two of him each stood opposite the huge sofa which dominated the sitting room. The Doctor was sitting on the edge of the sofa beside a reclining figure who he recognized as Lukas Sterling, the bookshop owner. And his own mirror image. He was dressed in a rumpled green and black silk dressing gown and black pajama bottoms. His hair hung in greasy black waves over his shoulders, though he was still perfectly shaved despite looking like he hadn't showered - or moved - in a week. 

 

“What are you doing here, Doctor?”

 

Tom looked around the flat. There was a pile of handkerchiefs on the floor beside the sofa half burying what looked like a cane. 

 

“Never mind that, what happened?” 

 

Lukas tipped his head back so that it impacted on the arm of the sofa with a thud. “He’s gone.”

 

“What?”

 

There were photographs scattered around the flat. Pictures of Lukas and a larger blond man. Ruggedly handsome and cheerful, if his broad smile was any indicator. The pair had their arms around each other in every photo. In one they were kissing. Tom felt an irrational surge of jealousy. 

 

“Chris’s gone. There was an accident.” The black haired man’s voice hitched and tears started trickling down his cheeks. “He… I couldn’t save him. He died instantly.” 

 

“Oh.” The Doctor just sounded stunned. 

 

Tom immediately felt guilty for the jealousy. 

 

“Five years. I only had him for five years.” The dark man started to cry in earnest now. “A blink of an eye. I knew it wouldn’t be long, but…” He covered his face with his hands. “What am I going to do?” 

 

“When did it happen?” 

 

“Eight days, four hours, and sixteen minutes ago.” 

 

“Loki, listen to me, you’ve got to pull yourself together.” 

 

“Pull myself together?” the doppelganger shouted. Tom jumped. “The love of my life is dead, and you’re telling me to pull myself together? I should burn this world to ashes. Destroy every living thing in this benighted realm, it would only be fitting.” 

 

The Doctor sat back, hands wary by his sides. “I can’t let you do that.” 

 

“Try and stop me,” the other snarled. He reached down into the pile of white linen on the floor and pulled up something that looked like a bladed medieval mace with a glowing blue stone set into the head. Tom realized that it had been the cane a moment before, but had changed once the other man’s hand had touched it. Things started to click into place in his mind. 

 

“You know that I can. I don’t want to hurt you, but Earth is under my protection.” The Doctor’s voice was perfectly even. 

 

“I wish I’d never stepped foot on this hideous parallel Midgard.” 

 

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at Tom who stood fidgeting at the edge of the room. “Parallel.” 

 

“What?” The word was multiplied as Tom and his doppelganger spoke simultaneously. 

 

The Doctor leaned to the side so the man on the sofa could see the mirror image of himself standing in his sitting room. “Parallel,” he repeated. 

 

Tom and Lukas… Loki? looked at one another. Tom realized that the other’s eyes were a different color. Instead of the brilliant blue they’d been when they met, they were a pale gray-green, red-rimmed from crying. There was a wide gold band on his left hand which he hadn't noticed before. Tom’s heart broke. 

 

“Hi.” 

 

Tom’s uncertain greeting was met by a slow blink. “Hello.” 

 

“We’ve met before. A few years ago?” Tom took a tentative step forward. It was probably a bad idea, but he did it anyway. 

 

“Yes, I remember.” 

 

“I… I’m sorry for your loss.” 

 

The darker haired man bowed his head. “Thank you.” He set the weapon back down on the floor on top of the handkerchiefs. It changed back into a walking stick, though the bright blue jewel remained.  

 

“How… how long were you married?”

 

The other man closed his eyes and twisted the gold band with shaking fingers. “Three years. We were in the first group.” 

 

“I’m so sorry.” Tom took another step closer. “I can’t imagine what you must be going through.” 

 

“Thank you,” was the whispered reply. 

 

The Doctor looked back and forth between them with a small frown. Tom glared at him and tossed his head. The older man took the hint and got up. The Doctor moved across the room, shut the door to the flat, then leaned against the wall beside it. Tom knelt by the sofa, hands on the edge of the seat cushions. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

 

“You are kind. No. Not at the moment.” 

 

“It… I’ve heard it gets easier, as time passes.” 

 

The other nodded. “I know, but hurts so much right now.” One long pale hand curled into a fist against the black and green silk. “Your lives are so fleeting.” 

 

“Any life can be cut short,” the Doctor said quietly from across the room. “Even ones that should last millennia.” 

 

Tom looked between the two other men. “You’re both aliens, aren’t you?” 

 

The Doctor nodded and pressed a hand to his own chest. “Time Lord,” then pointed to the man on the sofa. “God.” 

 

“God?”

 

“Little g god.” 

 

“So… you’re the Norse deity?” 

 

Loki looked up. “Not exactly, but close enough.” 

 

“Then why do you look like me? Or do I look like you?” 

 

The Doctor pushed off the wall. “He’s from a parallel universe.” 

 

Tom frowned and pushed his glasses up. “That really doesn’t explain anything.” 

 

“Well if he were from this universe, he wouldn’t look like you. Unless there was some kind of temporal anomaly going on, which sometimes causes unusual genetic duplication.” 

 

Tom’s frown deepened. “Doctor, that isn’t helpful.” 

 

“What our friend is trying to say is that you and I are different versions of the same thing from different realms. I hadn’t realized before; I wasn’t exactly myself when we met.” 

 

“Is that why your eyes are a different color?”

 

Loki raised an eyebrow and nodded. He looked over at the Doctor. “He’s unusually intelligent for a human.”

 

The Doctor snorted. “I’d noticed.”   
  


“I’m right here.” Tom wasn’t actually offended, but he felt like he should stand up for humanity in this conversation between god and alien. 

 

“Apologies.” Loki dropped his head back again. 

 

“No, you get a pass.” Tom hesitated, then put his hand on Loki’s arm. He gestured towards the Doctor with the other. “He, on the other hand, should know better.” 

 

“No. I’m well known for being a complete bastard.” 

 

Loki laughed. It was small and weak, but he laughed. Tom smiled wide and bright. Progress. 

 

“I hate to say it, but the Doctor is right to a small degree. When was the last time you ate?” 

 

The darker man shrugged, which was pretty much what Tom expected. 

 

“I’m sure you can go without food for longer than I can, but you still need to care for yourself.” 

 

Loki just sighed. 

  
Tom rubbed his forehead. “Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. Doctor, you’re going to the market. I’m sure there’s not a thing fit to eat in the flat. I will tidy this place up and see about some tea. Lu… Loki, you are going to shower.”

 

“Am I?”

 

“You are. Even if I have to drag you into the bath myself.” 

 

“Oh very well. As much as I would love to see that, I suppose I can stir myself.” The dark haired man levered himself up to a full sitting position. 

 

Tom pivoted to face the Doctor. “I’ll make you a list.” 

 

The Doctor’s eyebrows flew up. “Yes sir.” 

 

Tom blushed, but pulled a notebook from his jacket pocket and scribbled a small shopping list. Somebody had to be sensible in the group, and it looked like that was going to be him. He ripped the page from the notebook and thrust it in the Doctor’s general direction. “Go.” 

 

He went. 

 

Loki had managed to get to his feet by this point. Tom stood as well, hoping to catch the other man if he lost his balance. He was startled to discover that he was slightly taller, but then realized it was because his mirror image was barefoot. 

 

“Doing alright?”

 

Loki nodded. “I’ve gone without food or proper rest for months, this will do no lasting damage.”

 

“Okay, off with you then.” Tom made a small shooing motion with his hands. 

 

The darker man made a small noise that might have been a laugh and left the room. 

 

Tom went for the small kitchen next. He put the kettle on, discovered that the teapot had been sitting half full for a week and was therefore vile, and resigned himself to making tea directly in the cup while the pot soaked clean. 

 

By the time he’d gone through the fridge and tossed everything that was moldy and made two cups of tea - luckily the milk was still good - Loki re-emerged from the bath.  His long black hair was damp and shining. He wore black pajama bottoms and a different black and green silk dressing gown, this one paisley with small gold flecks like teardrops scattered over it. He still looked pale and gaunt, but less like he would just stop functioning at any moment. Tom pressed a mug of tea into his hands and the other man smiled wanly at him.

  
“My thanks.” Loki settled back onto the large sofa, cup cradled in his hands. “Tea is one of the things I’ve most come to appreciate about your realm.” 

 

“I wasn’t sure how you took it, so I made it like mine.” Tom wasn’t certain where he should sit, but the other man had left a large space open beside him on the sofa rather than sitting in the middle or laying down as he had before. Tom took that as an invitation and sat on the wide sofa rather than one of the chairs. 

 

Loki sipped his tea. “It’s slightly sweeter than I prefer, but that’s all to the good today.” He took another sip. “Why did you come to see me?”

 

“The Doctor convinced me that I should be more curious about my… my duplicate living in London, so he dragged me up here.”

 

“You no longer teach at Queen Anne?”

 

Tom was startled that Loki remembered that he had been a professor at the London university; they’d only spoken for an hour or so almost five years ago. He shook his head. “I’m at St. Luke’s now, in Bristol. The Doctor is a lecturer there as well.” 

 

“How odd. I wouldn’t have thought he would settle enough to acquire such a position.” 

 

“He said he’d been there for seventy years.” 

 

Loki’s eyes went wide. “He has changed, then.” 

 

“You don’t doubt the timeframe.” 

 

“No.” Loki shook his head. “He’s even older than myself and has the ability to travel through time and space. I’ve no doubt that he’s done as he says, it’s a question of why.” 

 

Tom considered asking the god how old he was, but decided that it would be rude. He shrugged. “I couldn't say. We haven’t known each other for long.” 

 

Loki smiled. “My own association with him was brief, but highly… impactful.” The smile faded and he set the tea mug in his lap and sniffed. A moment later tears started to run down his cheeks again. 

 

“Oh, please, don’t cry. It’ll be alright.” Tom set his tea on the coffee table and took Loki’s mug from his loose fingers. “I know it hurts, but you’ll be alright.” 

 

Loki shook his head and twisted the gold band on his hand. “You don’t understand.”

 

“I… no, I’ve never been married. Most of my relationships haven’t really lasted for very long, but I do know what it’s like to be in love and then lose that love.” 

 

The darker man sniffled again and wiped his eyes. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without him.” 

 

Tom watched helplessly as the other man wept into a fresh handkerchief pulled from the pocket of his dressing gown. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something more I could do.” 

 

“You are very kind. I don’t know why you’re doing anything to help me; we barely know one another.” 

 

“I… It’s the decent thing to do, but…” 

 

“But?”

 

“I feel as though I do know you.” 

 

Loki looked up and met Tom’s gaze. “As though we’d met in another life.” 

 

He nodded. “Like we’ve known each other for years and years.” 

 

“It may be that our… dimensional affinity may be coming into play, since I very much doubt you’ve been affected by any kind of psychic interference.” 

 

“You mean that since we’re sort of different versions of each other, that means it feels like we’re…” 

 

“Friends?” Loki offered the word so gently it seemed like he was afraid it would be snatched away. 

 

“Yes.” Friends only began to cover it, but it was a start. 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

The Doctor returned a few minutes later, demanded tea, and promptly starting turning the ingredients he’d gotten into soup. This had been Tom’s intention as well, but had thought that he would be making the soup, not the Doctor.

 

“It’s alright,” the older man said as he chopped vegetables without looking at them. “You’re better at the whole… comforting... thing. I’ll leave that to you.”

 

Tom nodded. The Doctor had been pretty rubbish at condolence. He was an alien, after all. It made sense that some emotions might be beyond him. Or perhaps just different. Then again, Loki was an alien too, but he seemed far more human than the Doctor did.

 

After assuring himself that the Doctor knew what he was doing in the kitchen, Tom returned to the sofa where Loki had curled himself into a ball at one end.

 

“You should try and drink more tea.”

 

The god looked at the mug in Tom’s hand with a small frown, but took it. “If you insist.”

 

“I don’t know how it works for your species, but if you’ve been living off of human food and drink for years, it must be somewhat similar. Hydration is good. Calories are good. Drink the tea.”

 

Loki chuckled. Tom felt a swell of pride that he’d made the other man laugh, even though it was probably at the audacity of this member of a lesser species ordering about a powerful god-like creature. Tom glanced down at the walking stick on the floor. It must be some kind of alien artifact. The gem in the head glowed azure, noticeable even in the well lit flat.

 

“Why did your eyes change color? Was it to do with that?” Tom pointed at the cane.

 

“You are bright for your species, aren’t you? Yes. One of its properties is to affect minds. When I first arrived here I used it to forget my past and ‘become human’, though of course I didn’t change at all, physically.”

 

Tom wasn’t sure if he was offended or pleased by Loki’s comments on his intelligence. Both, perhaps. “So that’s what you meant when you said you weren’t yourself when we met.”

 

The other man nodded. “Indeed. The conditioning was beginning to wear off when I met the Doctor. He assisted me with rebuilding my mind into a more… whole version of myself.”  

 

Tom glanced over at the Doctor. The older man was scowling into the soup pot as if it had killed his first born. “So you remember everything now? Including your normal human life?”

 

“I do. If I had been my proper self when we met, I would have investigated our… connection instead of passing it off as a coincidence.”

 

The word “connection” made Tom smile. “It’s a mad world we live in, strange things happen all the time.”

 

“Ah yes, but I know better.” Loki pressed a hand to his chest. “As dimensional twins, we have great… potential. It was foolish to throw that aside.”

 

“Potential?”

 

Loki hummed and nodded. “For power, for exploration, for… many things.”

 

“I’m just a professor, I’m not powerful.”

 

“What you’ve done with your life is less relevant than the… the resonance that exists between us.”

 

Tom frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

Loki held out a hand. “May I?”

 

At his nod, the god put his hand on Tom’s. For a moment, nothing happened. Loki’s skin was slightly cooler than his own, but the contact felt nice. Natural rather than incongruous. Then it felt like someone had dropped him down a well, capped it with a church bell and struck the bell with a hammer. His whole body vibrated. Tom had never been in an earthquake, but he imagined that this is what it felt like. He could smell stone and snow. Taste moonlight and blood and gold. It was terrifying, dizzying, wonderful.

 

Loki let go and the feeling ceased.

 

“What?” He cleared his throat. “What was that?”

 

“As I said, dimensional resonance.” Loki licked his lips and looked away. “It’s more powerful than I suspected.”

 

The Doctor spoke up from the kitchen. “Hey, get a room you two.”

 

“Doctor, really.” Tom glared at the older man.

 

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Tom, glanced at Loki, and went back to chopping. The scent of fresh herbs filled the room.

 

Tom rubbed the back of his head. He felt warm, all of a sudden. He looked back at Loki, who was mirroring his gesture perfectly. It was uncanny. For the most part, they weren’t that much alike. Tom suspected that if he dredged up some of his old acting skills from uni and actually attempted to imitate the god, he could probably do it well; he’d always been good at mimicry. But in the brief time they’d interacted, this was the first time they’d done the same thing at the same time in the same way. Well, they’d said “what” simultaneously, but that could happen with anyone. They didn’t share mannerisms or speech patterns, they just looked very similar.

 

Loki adjusted his dressing gown and sipped his tea. He didn’t look at Tom.

 

The silence dragged on. Tom wasn’t sure what had happened, but the energy of the room had changed. Loki sat toying with the gold band on his finger, perfectly still other than his hands. His expression was like stone, but at least he wasn’t crying any more.

 

“Food is ready.”

 

Tom started and Loki looked up. They stood at the same time and went into the kitchen area. The Doctor pressed a bowls into both of their hands and the three of them gathered around the small kitchen table.

 

Loki attacked the soup like he hadn’t seen food in a week, which he probably hadn’t. Tom was hungry as well; it had been a long time since breakfast. The Doctor ate too, but it was disinterested and mechanical.

 

“What have you been up to these past years, Doctor?” Loki asked after a few minutes of silence.

 

“Oh you know, this and that. Saved some civilizations, failed to save some others. Became a university lecturer. The usual.”

 

Loki snorted. “How long has it been from your perspective?”

 

“Oh, ah. About a thousand years, give or take a few centuries.”

 

Tom’s eyes went wide. He glanced at Loki, who had a similar expression. Apparently this seemed like a long time to the god as well.

 

“I actually reached the end of my natural lifespan in there once, that was interesting.”

 

“I…” Loki leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know what to say.”

 

The Doctor shrugged. “It’s just life.”

 

“Almost my entire lifetime since we last met…”

 

 _That answers that question._ Tom thought to himself.

 

“Yes, well, you’ve been on the slow path. I’ve been too, but for longer.”

 

“Time travel must be amazing,” Tom said. “Did you ever meet Shakespeare?”

 

The Doctor laughed. “I did; nice bloke. He helped me save the world.”

 

Tom sat back, mouth hanging open. “You’re joking.”

 

“Nope. Met Shakespeare, he fancied my friend - he fancied me too, actually - we saved the world from witches. Good times.”

 

“Incredible.”

 

“I don’t do it much anymore, but yes.”

  
  
“What are you up to if you’re not traveling?” Loki asked.

 

The Doctor smiled. “Teaching, what else? I’ve always done a bit of that, I just decided to formalize it. I got the idea from a friend of mine. He taught at Cambridge for several hundred years and nobody noticed, so I thought I’d try the same trick.”

 

Tom laughed. “There are always those professors that seem to have been with the university for a hundred years, like old Professor Adams.”

 

“Oh please, Adams joined St. Luke’s Fall Term of 1978; I remember it.”

 

“That was before I was born.”

 

“And he was old at the time, but it’s hardly centuries.”

 

“But you know what I mean. There’s always somebody like that. I can see why you thought you could get away with staying forever.”

 

The Doctor grinned, then frowned at Tom. “You do know that I am hiding, right?”

 

“Not very subtly.”

 

“Well no, but you humans are so very good at not seeing things.”

 

Tom scoffed, but he knew that the Doctor was right. People saw what they wanted to see.

 

“What I’m trying to say, is that you can’t tell anyone about me. About all this. The time travel, the alien stuff.”

 

“Ah. Well I wasn’t planning on telling anyone.” Tom pulled on his collar and looked away. “I’m not exactly known for being gregarious.”

 

Loki’s eyes widened. “Truly?”

 

“No. I keep to myself most of the time.”

 

“Why?” Disbelief was written so clearly on the god’s face.

 

“I… This is going to sound incredibly egotistical.”

 

“Oh please, it’s as obvious as the day is long,” the Doctor cut in. “Half the campus is chasing after him and it’s not the half he’s interested in.”

 

Tom blushed and looked away.

 

“Oh.” Loki’s voice held surprise and something more complex that Tom couldn’t quite identify. “I do understand. Is the university not particularly progressive?”

 

“I’ve had bad experiences before. I tend to stay on the cautious side, for safety's sake.” Shouting matches with a former dean and dozens of angry letters from parents came vividly to mind. A handful of fights as a teenager, before he’d grown into his height and most bullies became too intimidated to face down someone almost two meters tall, even as skinny as he was. None of it was pleasant. One of his exes had been bi, and it was so much easier for him, at least in some ways. He was with a woman now, in fact. They were still friends, but not close anymore. That’s how it usually went for him. Short romances that dissolved into cool friendships. Tom sighed.

 

“Don’t worry, the world just keeps getting more tolerant,” the Doctor said, leaning back in his chair. “In a century this era will be considered a dark age. Humanity is flexible enough to learn.”

 

“That’s cold comfort, Doctor.” Loki scowled at the Time Lord. “How humanity will be in a hundred years hardly helps now.”

 

“No, he’s right, it does help.” Tom smiled and straightened his spine. “I’ve seen things change just in my own lifetime. I’m glad to hear it keeps getting better, they could easily not.”

 

The room fell silent for a long moment and Tom looked up at the others. Both of them were staring at him. “What?”

 

The the Time Lord and the god looked at each other. The Doctor made an “after you” gesture with one hand, and Loki spoke. “You have… a kind spirit, despite what hardships you’ve been through. It’s… refreshing. Pleasant.”

 

“Oh. It… I’m… It’s nothing.”

 

“It is not nothing, it’s a rare quality, and you should take pride in it.”

 

He adjusted his glasses and looked away. “I… thank you.”

 

Loki smiled. “You’re quite welcome.”

 

Tom tugged on his collar and stood abruptly. “Um, where’s your loo?”

 

“Down the hall, first door to the left.”

 

“Thanks.” He scarpered.

 

Tom actually didn’t need the the toilet. He needed to get his wits back. The bath was quite nice. Elegantly tiled in white and green and dark gold. Loki’s style, if his dressing gowns were anything to go by. At least the fixtures weren’t gold, which Tom had always found horrifically tasteless. He leaned against the vanity and removed his spectacles. Rubbed his eyes and splashed water on his face. He still felt overheated. Too many compliments. Too many blushes. Just too much. He looked up and started at the mirror. It was almost strange to see his face as _his_ face. His eyes were almost the same color as Loki’s in this light, washed out and pale gray rather than blue. He shuddered and looked away from the mirror.

 

“Stop it. You need to just stop. He is in mourning. Stop.” The words came out in a stern whisper. “You can do this. You’ve done this. Be a friend. You can do that. Just…” Tom sighed and his shoulders slumped. He looked back up at the mirror. “Just… Just hide like you always do.”

 

He splashed more water onto his face and dried it with one of the soft emerald towels. Put his glasses back on and checked to make sure there were no water droplets clinging to his beard. He opened the door and stepped back out into the hall determined to head back to the others before his courage failed him and he had to spend the next hour in the loo. Voices greeted him in the hall.

 

“... were you thinking?”

 

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Doctor.”

 

“I’m not _blind,_ Loki.”

 

“Everyone else on this forsaken planet is.”

 

“I think you’ll find that’s not the case anymore.”

 

“Whatever do you mean?”

 

“If you can’t tell, I’m not going to explain. Feeling better?” This last sentence was aimed at Tom as he entered the room.

 

“Um, yes, thanks.” He sat back down. The conversation didn’t start back up again. He pushed a carrot around the bottom of his bowl for a moment.  “So, do we have a plan for the rest of the day?”

 

“When do you need to leave?” There was a level of strain to Loki’s voice that hadn’t been there before.

 

“We didn’t get return tickets, so that’s a bit up in the air. Do you have anything you need to do this evening, Doctor?”

 

“Hmm? Ah, yes. Actually I need to be back by say, 7:00 or so.”

 

“Oh.” Loki looked back down at his hands.

 

“I… I don’t.” Tom cursed himself the moment the words left his mouth. _Stop it stop it stop it._

 

But Loki looked up at him and smiled. It was full of hope and loneliness and pain and suffering and promise. “You could stay for supper?”

 

“Certainly.” Tom returned the smile, trying to make it supportive, rather the terribly eager.

 

The Doctor jerked, like something had struck him. “I… I actually just remembered, I have… a thing… yes. A thing. I should go... soon.” The Time Lord stood, took the empty bowls from the table, and headed for the kitchen.

 

Loki and Tom exchanged startled looks. “I can take care of that,” Tom said, getting to his feet.

 

“No, it’s fine, you stay where you are. I’ll tidy up and be on my way.”

 

Tom frowned at the Doctor’s back and glanced over at Loki. The god shrugged and gave him a small half-smile. “I’ve learned not to ask.”

 

“Oh.” Tom sat back down.

 

Loki leaned in and muttered conspiratorially in Tom’s ear. “There’s probably an invasion or something. I think he gets alerts on his mobile.”

 

Tom stifled a laugh. “That would have more verisimilitude if he wasn’t doing the washing up.”

 

But the Doctor was done with the dishes in no time and headed for the door. “Tom, I’ll see you on Monday. Loki, I’m sure I’ll see you sooner than last time.” He opened the door.

 

“Do you want to borrow my umbrella, Doctor?”

 

“Why? It’s stopped raining.” He grinned at them and left.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The professor who taught at Cambridge for centuries is of course Professor Chronotis from "Shada" and "Old Professor Adams" is a reference to Douglas Adams who joined the _Doctor Who_ staff in 1978.


	5. Chapter 5

 

The remaining pair stared at one another for a long moment. Tom  _ realized _ that he was staring, and looked away. “I’ll… I’ll make more tea.” 

 

“If you’d like.” 

 

Tom stumbled into the kitchen and put the kettle on again. “Do you really think there might be another invasion happening?” 

 

Loki chuckled. “Possibly. I think it more likely he was just too uncomfortable.” 

 

“Some people don’t deal with grief very well.” 

 

Loki hummed. “He lost his wife not that long ago, on his time scale.” 

 

Tom looked sharply at the god. “I had no idea he’d been married.” 

 

“He wears a ring.” Loki leaned forward. “You noticed that I wear a ring, but not him.” 

 

“I… He doesn’t wear a wedding band. It’s a signet ring.” 

 

“Ah.” The god sat back. “You did notice.” 

 

“Well yes. I… I usually check for that sort of thing.” Tom looked back to the kettle. 

 

“I see.” 

 

“How did you know about his wife?”

 

“He told me while you were out of the room. He’s actually been married - or the equivalent - a few times and outlived them all. Even the ones that were of his own race.” Loki looked down at his ring and twisted it around his finger. “He said… he told me that it never gets easier, but that it’s always worth it. Even if the time is short.” 

 

“Did that help?” 

 

“It did. As a… an ‘alien’ living among humans it’s good to hear that I’m not necessarily doomed to live without love.” The god looked back up, across the room to where Tom stood in his kitchen.  

 

“I’m sure you’re not. I know it feels like that now, but it’ll get better.” 

 

“It already has.” 

 

Tom smiled. “I’m so glad.” 

 

“Just knowing that…” 

 

“Yes?”

 

Loki gave him a sad smile. “Knowing that life has gone on for others in my situation, that helps. But I felt so alone when he…” The god closed his eyes and bit his lip. “I felt like no one would miss me, were I to just vanish. I might have sat here forever, if you had not come. I was trying to decide.” 

 

Tom’s heart sunk. “Decide?”

 

“I rewrote my mind before. Forgot. I might have done it again. Or just… stopped.” 

 

“Oh. Oh no, don’t say that.” Tom half ran into the sitting area but stopped short at the sofa. He sat down slowly beside Loki. “Please don’t say that.” 

 

“It’s true though. I’ve let go before.” Loki looked down at his hands. “Then I took my memories away so that I could forget the pain. I would have done it again. Either of them. That’s what it would have been. Just letting go.” Loki raised a clenched fist, then opened his fingers. Like dropping a glass to shatter on the floor. Like releasing a lifeline. Letting go of reality. Or existance. 

 

Tom’s heart stopped. Instincts warred with in him. He wanted to comfort Loki, tell him everything was alright. To hold the other man, let him know that yes, there were other people here who cared about him. But he was terrified. So frightened that he might be rejected, that the comfort would be interpreted as something inappropriate. Loki had just lost his husband, and all Tom wanted to do was cover him in kisses and tell him that it would all be alright, and that was so  _ wrong. _ He rarely felt an attraction so strong so quickly, but here it was, and it was wrong. 

 

“Please don’t.” It wasn’t enough, but it was all he could do. “Please, you’re not alone.” 

 

“Aren’t I? I’m the only member of my species in this entire universe. I don’t even look human, this is just a trick.” He waved a hand in front of his chest. “The only man who ever loved and accepted me for who I am is dead. What have I left?” 

 

“I…” Tom wanted to say  _ I love you and accept you, _ but he couldn’t. He did, but he couldn’t say why, how could you love someone you just met? The encounter years ago couldn’t explain this; they’d spoken for an hour. It felt like they’d been friends that whole time. Longer. But had they really met at all? “What do you look like? I thought we looked the same?” 

 

Loki tipped his head back. “I suppose you have the right to see.” He was still for a long moment, then his skin turned blue. Not the blue of frostbitten human skin, but a strong, intense blue. Ultramarine deepening into cobalt. Small ridged lines appeared on the exposed part of his chest, his arms, hands, face. They were patterns of some kind, swooping curves, not just random scarring. His hair stayed black, and when he tipped his head forward again, Tom could still see his own face under the blue skin. Loki opened his eyes and they were a dark, pain-filled crimson. 

 

“Oh.” 

 

The god looked away. “Monstrous, I know.” 

 

“No. No no, you’re beautiful.” Tom reached out and touched Loki’s cheek. The skin was icy cold and the god flinched away from the contact. 

 

“Don’t, I’ll burn you.” 

 

“You’re not that cold.” Tom wanted to feel the texture of those lines. He reached out again and traced a finger over one of the ridges on Loki’s forehead. It was slightly raised, perfectly smooth and cold under his hand. 

 

The god’s eyes fluttered shut. “So hot.” The words came out in a hoarse whisper that went straight to Tom’s libedo. Would Loki’s lips be cold? The inside of his mouth? His tongue? He wanted to know. He had to know. 

 

_ No! _

 

Tom pulled away. His hand off Loki’s face, his body away from the god’s. The cold radiating off the other was doing nothing to cool his blood. Tom knew he was breathing like he’d been running. He scooted away, pushed his glasses up, tugged at his collar and looked away. “I’m sorry.” The words came out before he could stop them 

 

“Why? For recoiling from the alien monster? That’s only to be expected.” Loki’s voice was harsh and bitter. Filled with revulsion. Self loathing.

 

That wasn’t acceptable. 

 

“No! No no no no, that’s not it at all. No, you’re beautiful. I meant that. Too…” Tom’s breath hitched. “Too beautiful. I’m sorry.” He looked down at his fingers tangled together in his lap. Couldn’t look at the disgust he would see on the god’s face. 

 

“Truly?” 

 

Tom nodded miserably. He’d found a friend, someone he could really care for, and he’d ruined it. 

 

The hand that covered his was pale, not blue. Warm, not cold. “You feel it too then.” 

 

Tom looked up. Loki was much closer now. His eyes were pale gray-green again and wide. “I…” What could he say?

 

“It’s alright. The fault is mine, not yours. I wanted to show off and…” Loki sighed. “Things got out of hand, as usual.” 

 

“I don’t understand.” 

 

Loki reached out and cupped the base of Tom’s skull, fingers slipping into his curls. He couldn’t help but lean into the contact. Something warm blossomed in his head under the god’s hand. “You feel this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“We have bonded. I didn’t know that it was possible to bond with a normal human. Only magicians and those of the long lived races can - to my knowledge - though the Doctor said otherwise.” 

 

“What does that mean?” 

 

Loki removed his hand. Tom missed the warm, intimate contact the moment the god’s skin no longer touched his own. “It means we shall be linked for as long as we both live, unless we choose to break it. I can sever the bond, if you wish. It will be painful, but can be done without long term effects, if done carefully.” 

 

“But, what does ‘linked’ mean?” 

 

“I’m uncertain how to explain. You will always know where I am, if you concentrate. Know if I am in good health or in danger. If we are together, you will be able to read my moods more easily. And of course, the reverse would be true as well. Beyond that, I don’t know. I’ve never heard of this sort of thing happening with a mortal with no seidr.” 

 

“Seidr?”

 

“Magic.” 

 

“There’s magic? You have magic?” Tom frowned. “Were you making it rain earlier?” 

 

Loki laughed. It was full and delighted. Tom grinned. “Yes. Not intentionally, but yes.” 

 

“That’s amazing.” 

 

“The Doctor would say that it’s just science by another name, which is true to some extent, but my people call it magic.” 

 

“You’re a magical alien god.” 

 

“Yes, I suppose I am.” 

 

“That’s incredible.” 

 

Loki chuckled. Tom wanted to hear every laugh the god might have. See every smile. Make him smile and laugh and…

 

“What… what does it really mean, this bond?” 

 

“It is as I said.”

 

“But if we’re not… together.” 

 

“Do you wish to be together?”

 

Tom nodded. “I wish I’d come back before this. So I could have been here for you.”

 

Loki looked away. “It would have been different.” 

 

“Would it?”

 

The god nodded. “Yes. But I might… I would have appreciated your friendship. Knowing that someone else was there would have helped.” Loki looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. “I would have been less likely to consider letting go.” 

 

“I don’t want you to let go.” 

 

“I shan’t. Not now.” 

 

“Good.” 

 

“We shall be a part of one another’s lives no matter what, if we keep this. We needn’t be any more than friends - if you wish - but it will be as though we’ve known one another our whole lives, but without the experiences.” 

 

“An instant emotional connection?” 

 

“Yes. We will be as… as brothers or…”

 

“Or?”

 

“As lovers.” 

 

“Oh.” Inside his mind, he screamed  _ yes yes yes, _ but rationality spoke too. “Is that something you want? You’ve just lost your husband, I can’t possibly fill those shoes.” 

 

“I…” Loki rubbed his chin, laid a finger over his lips, and stared off into the distance. He dropped his head, chin to his chest. “I need time, but yes, I believe I do. I will always love Chris, but that doesn’t mean I cannot love anyone else. He made me incredibly happy, and I’m devastated that he’s gone, but I will move on. And I would like to move on with you, if you’ll have me.” He looked up at Tom through his lashes, pale eyes wide and hopeful.

 

“Of course.” Tom pulled the god into the hug he’d wanted since he’d step foot into the flat. Held the other tightly against his chest, finally able to offer the comfort that he’d longed to give. “Of course.” 

 

Loki melted into his arms. Laid his head on Tom’s shoulder and relaxed. “Thank you.” 

 

It was a beginning. 

 


	6. Epilogue

 

The Doctor stood in his office at St Luke’s. The TARDIS hummed quietly in the corner, singing to herself at the back of his consciousness. He looked at the message scrawled on the psychic paper one more time. The handwriting was Professor Hiddleston’s, but there was no way the message had come from the Classics lecturer. The Time Lord focused inwards; a twist of the mind which allowed him to perceive beyond his normal senses brought the other person in the room into a range where they could see one another and speak. 

 

The Doctor straightened and looked at the newcomer.  “Ah, there you are.” 

 

The other man smiled. “It’s so nice when people can actually see me. Hello Doctor, it’s nice to finally meet you.” 

 

“And you. Tom, is it?”

 

The mirror image of the Classics professor nodded and smiled wider. This version had a slightly more athletic build and no beard or glasses, but was otherwise identical. Far more similar to “his” Tom than Loki was. “I am. I’m not sure how many of us there are, but I’m one of them. From another dimension, like Loki. The Loki you met, anyway.” 

 

The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against his desk. “A dimensional traveler, that’s unusual. I thought you might be a time traveler.” 

 

Tom shook his head. “I slip between universes in my sleep. I’ve only recently learned to fully control it, but it happens all the time.” 

 

The Doctor’s eyebrows went up. “You’re a Nexus.” 

 

Tom shrugged. “Loki seems to think so. My Loki, that is. There are a lot of him too. Assuming that you’re not just counting him as me.”

 

“Parallel dimensions are infuriating.” The Doctor frowned, thinking of his own experiences. “And very difficult to navigate safely. How are you able to do this?”

 

“I’m not sure, I just sort of fell into it.” The other man shrugged. “Usually I can’t interact with anyone, and I rarely visit the same universe twice, but I’ve been keeping an eye on these two for a while. Thank you for helping, by the way.” 

 

“Of course. We can’t have insane gods running around the planet, can we?” 

 

Tom laughed. “All he really needs is someone to love him.” 

 

“Don’t we all?” 

 

“A good friend will do, but yes.”

 

The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against his desk. “So what do you do in your world? You’re not a professor.” 

 

“I’m an actor, and training to become a magician, for whatever that’s worth. Not the rabbit out of the hat kind. The Harry Potter kind, but without the wands.” 

 

The Doctor frowned. “How did you know that  _ I’d _ know about Harry Potter? Those books aren’t a universal point.” 

 

Tom rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. “Ah, well, I’ve seen these episodes already, you see. You’re brilliant by the way. I love this version of you. Classic.” 

 

The Doctor opened his mouth, scowled, shut his mouth. “Thank you?” 

 

“I’d love to stay and chat more, but I really want to start talking about things that might be a poor idea, so I’d best go. Thanks again for giving this version of me a nudge.” 

 

“You’re welcome. Will I see you again?”

 

Tom grinned. “Spoilers.” And vanished. 

 

The Doctor looked over at the photos on his desk and shook his head. “Spoilers indeed.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Thank you to everyone who's read this, especially those who've taken the time to comment or kudos. 
> 
> Everything I've written in the past year is in one giant multiverse, which has millions of Toms and Lokis running around in it. Even my crossovers have crossovers. If you're curious about the Tom who shows up at the very end here, I call him "Tom Prime" in my head, and he - and his Loki - are the main characters of my principle series _Seeking Mischief_ which is nearing completion (it's actually finished, just not all beta'ed/posted). If you like my weirdness, including crossovers galore, please check out [Strange Mischief](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13206915/chapters/30210489) which was the beginning of all of this madness. 
> 
> Again, thank you for coming with me on this.


End file.
